A Yosemite High School science teacher in California had a new lesson for the students after the spring break; don’t judge by appearances. According to the NBC News report on Mar. 24, Karen Adel Scot returned after the spring break as a trans woman.

Scot, formerly known to the students as Gary Sconce, has taught science for 30 years (24 at Yosemite) and notified school officials of her plan to transition from male to female after the spring break in April. The school administrators sent letters home to the students’ parents informing them of their legal obligation to abide by the state’s law forbidding discrimination against Scot due to her transition in gender identity.

"Being transgender is not a choice," Scot wrote to colleagues resulting in a controversy after it leaked into the social media. She wanted to keep the transition quiet but when the letter became public, she was forced to ‘out’ herself.

Mara Keisling, executive director of the National Center for Transgender Equality in Washington, D.C. advises educational teachers to refrain from the public ‘eye’ by keeping the gender transition a personal matter.

Scot is 56-years-young with two adult children. She had been recognized as an award-winning educator while she kept her inner identity a secret. Her wife of 35 years is seeking a divorce.

While many individuals are not comfortable with Scot’s male-to-female transition, she is receiving welcoming support from numerous students and parents. She finally feels the inner conflict has been lifted by being a trans woman.

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Fran Childress, MSW, has experienced multiple paths in the behavioral field. A former child and gerontology therapist, she has experience and knowledge of child difficulties, relationship issues, and senior barriers. She believes a positive change must start from within a person before a macro societal change can occur. Contact Ms. Childress at childress.fran@yahoo.com.